Crash Repairs During Building

Stuka Stunt Main Forum · 25 of 25 known posts recovered

Z2 · Sep 07, 2001 11:09 AM

Am I the only one who could make a crash repair video during the original construction of an airplane? It seems lately that everything I toouch I break. I was shaping the leading edge of my new airplane the other night. While "Gently" pressing the wing down I managed to crush the outboard wing, about 5 bays worth (Already Repaired). Am I the only one who suffers during the building process? What have some of you done.

Thanks,
Zuriel

Zuriel D. Armstrong

Bob Reeves · Sep 07, 2001 12:07 PM

#1 source

LAST EDITED ON Sep-07-01 AT 12:09 PM (CDT)

Nope....

The bigest problem I have is banging the darn thing into stuff. with soft light balsa it sure doesn't take much to ding it. I think a clean shop with plenty of room is the answer. Some day...

Scott Riese · Sep 07, 2001 02:17 PM

#2 source

Two years ago While building my first pipeship I had the plane on it's back putting the LAST coat of clear on it. DOOR BELL rang went to the door just as the plane jumped off of the table and crushed the outboard wing. I got ghosts.....

Kiiski · Sep 07, 2001 02:25 PM

#3 source

I had a problem a year or so ago with a Ringmaster and one of our Dachshunds, the destruction was thorough and complete.
Kiiski

Currell · Sep 08, 2001 08:38 AM

#13 source

Was he trying to mate with it?

Some claim that Ringmasters are real dogs, anyway.

Currell

TigreST · Sep 07, 2001 03:21 PM

RE: Crash Repairs During Building/Engineering#4 source

I've found something similar has happened to me, albeit, not from destruction during construction (?, that kinda rhymes, ..), it's because I read to much, ..Stunt News and forums like SSW/Flightlines/RCO etc. I'm a bit of a retread with an on again, off again c/l history. With the start of the latest "era" I see much has changed in the sport regarding construction technique and technology.

Having started a project based on old style technique, and read about "new age" technique, (usually to late, ..sheeting is already in place and the like) I can't live with myself until the item in question is brought up to date if at all possible. So like a crash repair , the reconstruction begins even before the first round construction has been completed. Better that I guess then getting to the last coat of clear then having something happen.

But in keeping with the spirit of the thread: My Magnum did blow off the paint stand earlier this summer, ..half rolled, snagged a wing tip on the way down, then flopped onto the grass inverted, ..no damage happy to say.

Epoxy at the ready,
Tony

Howard Rush · Sep 07, 2001 03:29 PM

RE: Crash Repairs During Building/Engineering#5 source

I'm pretty new to building stunt planes, so I had to learn things like how much clearance to allow when going through doorways. My first two planes got about as much repair as construction while I was building them. Forty years of combat have given me plenty of repair experience, so I eventually got the stunters built.

Howard Rush

Tim McTigue · Sep 07, 2001 04:51 PM

#6 source

Never had anything quite so thorough happen, but I'm still new to this (only one year). My most consistent problem has been cracking or breaking ribs while sliding the wing into the profile fuselage. Looking forward to building my first full-fuse stunter this Building Season so I won't have that problem (expect others...)

Tim

MAAC 65703

Scott Correa · Sep 07, 2001 06:15 PM

#7 source

I was bagging a foam core wing and had the pressure switch die.
Sucked the wing down fairly flat.......
I've built two left hand wings.........

I lost all my models when my bookcases fell on them during the
Northridge earthquake.

Scott

Tim McTigue · Sep 07, 2001 08:55 PM

Oh, the Humanity!#9 source

Scott, I think the prize is a split between you and Jake! Ouch! I can just picture the carnage under those bookcases. And I can imagine the choice phrases Jake uttered watching that knife fall!

Tim

MAAC 65703

Brett Buck · Sep 07, 2001 09:03 PM

#10 source

>I lost all my models when
>my bookcases fell on them
>during the
>Northridge earthquake.

My drill press fell on a Banshee during the Loma Prieta quake. The drill press survived.

Brett

Jake · Sep 07, 2001 07:18 PM

#8 source

I had just finished putting the first clear coat on a wing (silked) and set the ship on a stand on the floor while I cleaned off the workbench. X-acto knife chose to pick that moment to roll off the edge and go straight through one of the bays in the outboard wing. It stuck point first in the wood floor like a dagger. I was NOT amused.

JAK

"It'll probably feel real good again, once it quits hurting".

Ty M> · Sep 07, 2001 11:36 PM

#11 source

OH thank God. I thought I was alone. One night while building a Nobler, I was trying to adjust the stab back and forth, so the elevator gave 45 degrees up and down. I just could not seem to get it right. Finally out of sheer frustration, I tossed the plane at the cement wall of the basement. I used the stab on the Nobler I flew today, 26 years later. Got to save those pieces. The key here is do not build for 7 straight hours and at 3AM get frustrated. Sometimes you just have to walk away from it. Of course it will still jump off the bench of its own. I did slam the trunk lid on a wing of a Shoestring Stunter one time,at the contest site. Dumb, dumb, thought it was clear.

jacobite · Sep 08, 2001 01:08 AM

#12 source

I was building a Jr Nobler about 20 years ago, I dropped it with not too much damage.
Also I trod on the wing, you can imagine the damage.
ALSO... I dropped a heavy pair of pliers on the ( other ) wing.
However it was worth the effort as it flew beautifully.

Dave Moffitt.

BTW, Jake, a good mod to x-acto knife is to drill a hole in the end of it and slip a split ring ( ie a key ring ) through it.
It won't then do the "roll-off-table-dig-into-foot" manouvre.
Why do they always land blade first ? Especially if your foot is in the way.........

Currell · Sep 08, 2001 08:47 AM

#14 source

Lots of planes hanging from the ceiling. Lots of planes sitting on work tables. On profiles, the rubber bands slowly rot, and eventually fall away from the models. Usually, this is not a problem; (of course, you don't want the cat to eat them, along with the baked-on castor); the tank almost always will stick to the fuse.

But what will encourage the tank to fall away? Just unwittingly place your nicest finished model, of all your models, directly below.

And it didn't harmlessly hit the fuse or the solid stab, or even a wing rib. It had to hit smack in the middle of two ribs.

Very nice hole.

Figure the odds on that one.

Currell

Tony Elmore · Sep 08, 2001 09:21 AM

#15 source

I'm exactly the same!

Dwayne · Sep 08, 2001 01:02 PM

#16 source

Ok fine folks here it is, the absalute dumbest thing ever, I had just finished building a wing (SIG super chipmonk wing kit)for a Dick Sarpolus Challanger I began sanding it when the phone rang I got up to answer the phone and placed the wing in the chair leaning against the back ( can you see it coming) yep you guessed it with phone in one hand reciever in the other walked backwards and sat down, you cant make this stuff up guys, I stood up looked at the wing and for reasons I still dont know I laughed so hard I almost wet myself, the person on the other end of the phone thought I'd lost it maybe she's right at any rate I'll never do that again, now where did I put that wing I was just working on...
Dwayne

Steve Scott · Sep 08, 2001 02:35 PM

#18 source

LAST EDITED ON Sep-08-01 AT 02:39 PM (CDT)

Well I've not sat on one of my models but have stepped on a few and dropped things on them. Like Howard, I have problems getting them through the door without the screen door slamming shut before they are out of harm's way.

BTW, I hope you were able to finish your Sarpolus Challenger. I had one years back (also used the Sig Chimpmunk wing kit) and really, really liked it. I thought it resembled the old Chance Vought F-8 Crusader so I painted mine in Navy trim.

I'm also finishing up his 1/2A Zlin Akrobat. That is a slick looking little design!

Dumbest thing I've ever done (although not model related) was when I was stacking a dozen storm windows on edge in my storage shed. I lost my grip and the whole stack fell over onto the lawn mower. The mower engine housing punched through every single on of 'em.

mcm · Sep 08, 2001 02:28 PM

#17 source

Dropped an old metal-case drill motor on the inboard wing of a Sig Akrobat just after I covered the plane. I still keep catching the landing gear ends on the side of the doorway from my kitchen to my garage on a Nobler I am still building. But my all time favorite: Unloading an old pickup I used to own with a camper shell on the bed. My hands were too full and I sat my .35-powered Great Lakes Trainer on the top of the camper shell to go in, unload and return for the plane. When I sat it there, I thought "this is a really bad idea, but there is no way I'll forget that plane." Got inside, unloaded and the phone rang. Yep, about an hour later, I ran to my truck to go to the store. Found pieces of the plane all over the road on my way back from the store.

captcurt · Sep 10, 2001 01:13 PM

#19 source

New plane--out for first time...26 coats of hand rubbed clear..reall pretty in the bright sunshine.

Young son is going to pit for me so I go over safety concerns....Always where safety glasses around props. Never get in the plane of rotation.

Son puts on safety glasses...real nice ones with side shields and adjustable temples. Small kid, large glasses. Looks down to see plane....

Yup! right thru TWO adjacent bays with the nice temple pieces.

What could I do?? Just laughed and told him it would look that way again soon enough. He now knows that is true!

He felt so bad it made me feel bad for HIM!

Wouldn't trade that day for anything though!

Curt

Mikey · Sep 13, 2001 02:27 PM

#20 source

I thought I would pass on my worst experiencewith models. I used to fly a place called the Met Stadium in Minnesota (where the Vikings used to play outside) that had a huge parking lot. You could drive right up to where you wanted to fly. During my last flight the wind really picked up in about the middle of the pattern. I was bound and determined to finish the flight and started into the overhead eight’s. On the second loop the model became a free flight and started across the circle at about 15 feet of the ground. I took off running and managed to save the Skylark and was quite pleased with myself. Then about half a lap latter POW! I flew the model into the windshield of my precious 65 GTO. The needle nose spinner and the McCoy .40 were sticking through the windshield and rest of the model was scattered all over the hood. Not only did I just total my new Skylark but busted the windshield out of my car. I was really bummed

Mike

Mike Pratt

Richard · Sep 13, 2001 07:49 PM

#21 source

Every model must have blood stains if it is to fly well. Considering my affinitiy for things with sharp edges, I used to think this rule was a joke, until I built a model without blood stains - it flew like a dog. But you can't just sacrifice some part of your anatomy to the model. Oh no, the stains must be the genuine result of the project exacting its revenge before you get the chance. I now build with an imp of expectation sitting on my left shoulder, knowing that unless I do something stupid and carve a decent sized chunk out of myself, this project is doomed.

Cheers
Richard

Richard · Sep 13, 2001 08:20 PM

#22 source

Cheers
Richard

Jim T. · Sep 14, 2001 11:01 AM

#23 source

The late lamented Agile Arrow MKII was an I-beamer. I made the ribs out of medium hard balsa and that worked fine. Because the false ribs are just there to hold the airfoil conture, I made them out of really light soft balsa. From the time I started installing the false ribs, I spent more than half my building time repairing false ribs I had broken with clumsy handling. Once I got the wings covered there was no more problem. The next one will have somewhat sturdier false ribs. I will also follow my oft-stated advice not to try to maneuver in the wind with a way too rich engine run.

Jim Thomerson

jacobite · Sep 15, 2001 07:55 AM

And the award goes to...........#24 source

I think Mikey gets it, wodjer think fellers ???

Dave Moffitt